Publisher's Summary

Lincoln's first Inaugural Address was delivered on March 4th, 1861, as the North and South were sliding toward separation and Civil War. In it, Lincoln warns the nation of the consequences of the secession of the Southern States and, in an effort to avert secession, claims that his administration plans no changes regarding slavery.

His second Inaugural Address, given just weeks before his assassination, was also delivered on March 4 but four years later, in 1865. Just over a month later, April 18, 1865, the Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederate army. This was four days after Lincoln was shot on April 14. He died the next day.